044 Watchman How Far Gone Is the Night? The Second Watch.

The Watchman discusses the Second Night watch, how God has worked during the second watch in the past, and begins to reveal how God the Father and Jesus both adhere to the watches of the watchman

The Old Watchman Website
The Old Watchman - Facebook
The Watchman Speaks - Facebook
The Old Watchman - Twitter

Transcript

043 Watchman, How Far Gone Is the Night? The Second Watch. 

Welcome to The Watchman Speaks. I’m your host, Lonnie Richardson.

“Watchman! How far gone is the Night?” Well, we are going to reveal the second watch that happens to be from the hours of 9 pm to Midnight. When we finish, it’ll be midnight somewhere. That’s the beautiful thing about the watches of the watchman. At any time, around the world, there are one of the eight watches in progress. Everything that I’m going to share with you about these blocks of time is in progress somewhere in the earth at any given time. The sad part about it is this. How many of these watches are being manned at any given point in time? There’s that time thing again. Time is always important. Don’t ever doubt it, don’t ever forget it.

But before I move along to delve into the second watch, I want to bring something to the forefront that I didn’t bring out last week. Perhaps I should have, but I didn’t. It has to do with the first watch of the night from 6pm to 9pm. You see, it was on a particular Passover that thirteen men gathered in a room for a Passover meal. It was to be the last Passover meal that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (Yeshua Ha-Mashiach) would participate in. I find that somewhat ironic as He was the Passover Lamb of God partaking in His last meal on the evening beginning Passover.

Remember? Biblically speaking, the new day begins at sunset and continues through the dark of night, through the light of day and ends at the next sunset. When Jesus and the disciples sat down for supper that evening, it was during the first watch from 6pm to 9pm. It is important to know and understand this fact because it is leading up to something that I mentioned two weeks ago. Remember? No? Go back and listen to the introduction of this series, “Watchman, How Far Gone Is the Night”. I said then that God set up these blocks of time for a reason. Now, I’m not sure of the reason that God set up the watches in the manner in which He did. But I do know that when God established these blocks of time, these watches, that God Himself would not, in fact did not, veer away from them. That’s how important these watches are. I’m going to begin to reveal them to you. If God the Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus adhered to the watches I’d say that it’s a good thing that we at least be aware of their existance.

But why must I reveal them to you? Why are the watches, these blocks of time, not common knowledge? Well, along with the shofar and its use, along with the tallit or prayer shawl, these things have been swept under the rug, ignored, and forgotten over millennia as “Jewish practices”. I assure you that it is not so. But the watches seem to be even more forgotten than either the shofar or the prayer shawl. Why is that?

Society, customs, and traditions changed. No longer are cities kingdoms that need to be secured by high thick walls to protect people of the land from their enemies. That has never been more apparent than the current state of our southern border where people from all nations are coming into our land with little or no resistance to prevent them from doing so. That includes drug mules, criminals fleeing prosecution in their country, and potential terrorists. Perhaps we should reinstate the high walls to protect us from our enemies. But that’s another episode for a later time.

What I want to drive home at this moment is this. On the evening beginning Passover, Jesus and His disciples gathered for The Lord’s Supper during the first watch between 6pm and 9pm. God Himself and our Lord and Savior, Jesus, are about to begin demonstrating their adherence to these watches of the watchman. It’s true. I’ll show it to you. If you will recall from last week, I said that The First Watch was a time to pray to silence your enemies and to pray over divinely ordained plans and appointments. That’s the first watch. It was during the first watch that Jesus put into motion God’s plan for Jesus to die, overcome death, hell, and the grave, and provide a means for us to do the same. 

But let’s move on to the second watch. The late night watch or the second watch is a time to heed instruction either written out or conveyed by example. It is a time when divine intervention and divine favor as well as increased favor of humans. Now that I think about it, the favor of man is probably linked with divine favor. This watch is a time to be sensitive to God and His Holy Spirit. When you get the word to move, it’s time to move. 

In the Bible, the second watch is associated with divine provision and supply and when I say that I mean with no limitations. The only limitations to be found are found in our faith or lack of faith. John 10:10 tells us, that the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. That was addressed in and during the first watch. To silence the enemy and thwart the theft, murder, or destruction of divine callings on one’s life or appointments made by God. Pay attention! Remember the young pastor that I mentioned last week who is no longer a pastor. 

The Second watch is the time to pray for the supernatural provision and supply needed to see those plans of God come to fruition in your life. Notice that I did not say the plans you had for your life for God’s benefit. However, instead of allowing the enemy to derail you and God’s plan for you consider that this may be the time to plunder the oppressor. 

We will journey together into the Bible and see how that in this particular block of time, God’s favor fell upon people and, in doing so, increased the people’s favor among other people. God has even increased the people’s favor among their enemies!

Now before I go another step further, let me remind you of what the Psalmist said in Psalm 119:148, and I’ll use the Tree of Life version for this example. “My eyes are up before every night watch as I meditate on Your Word.” I beg you, with tears in my eyes, do not dismiss the night watches when you would normally slumber. I have always said and I will continue to say that God works in certain ways during certain seasons in time. The same, I believe can be said during the hours of each day. The problem lies in the fact that there are way too many sleeping when perhaps they should be watching and praying. I’ll prove that in a moment. 

Let’s take a trip to Exodus. It’s the second Book in the Bible. Go to the end of Genesis, take a hard right, hit the brakes, you’re there. 

In Exodus 3, beginning with verse 19 God is having some conversation with Moshe, that’s Moses in case you didn’t know about leading the sons of Israel out of Egypt. Let’s eavesdrop for a few moments from verse 19 through verse 22.

19Nevertheless, I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go, except by a mighty hand. 20So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders that I will do in the midst of it. After that, he will let you go. 

21“Then I shall grant these people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians. So it will happen that when you go, you will not leave empty-handed. 22Every woman is to ask her neighbor and the woman who lives in her house for silver and gold jewelry and clothing. You will put them on your sons and your daughters. So you will plunder the Egyptians.” 

Now, to me at least, it sounds to me that God has a plan. In order for the plan to work, Moses and the elders of Israel had to listen to and follow the plan. That’s called obedience. God was not going to send the sons of Israel out of Egypt unprepared and poorly outfitted. The sons of Israel plundered their oppressors. How did they do that? That was accomplished by God’s intervention and increasing the people’s favor among those who held them in bondage. It just so happens that this occurred during the second watch. How do I know? The Bible tells me.

Let’s look at Exodus 11:2-4. “Speak now in the hearing of the peope that each man ask from his neighbor and each woman ask from her neighbor for articles of silver and gold.” The Lord gave the people favor in the sight  of the Egyptians. Furthermore, the man Moses himself was greatly esteemed in the land of Egypt, both in the sight of Pharoah’s servants and in the sight of the people. Moses said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘About midnight I am going out into the land of Egypt and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharoah who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the millstones; all of the firstborn of the cattle as well. Moreover, there shall be a great cry in all the land of Egypt, such as there has not been before and such as shall never be again. But against any of the sons of Israel a dog will not even bark whether against man or beast, that you may understand how the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.”

Here, God is telling the people to ask for provision and supply, during the second watch. In doing so and being obedient, God granted the sons of Israel favor through their oppressors. It was also on the second watch that God prepared and executed His plan for the death of Egypt’s firstborn. However, Israel would not suffer any of the sorrow that Egypt would. That’s supernatural favor. Just a word of thought here. The Bible is a collection of books in which God reveals Himself to man. Either you believe it or you don’t. The question is, “Do you believe?”

In Exodus 12 God establishes His calendar, His time, and how He expects Israel to keep track of time. He also issues the instructions as to how Israel is to select a lamb without blemish, how long to observe and care for the lamb, how to slaughter the lamb and how to prepare the lamb as a meal. He also goes into depth with His instruction as to how to apply the blood of the lamb on the lintels and doorposts of their dwellings to avoid the judgment that was about to fall upon Egypt. ALL of this was done during the first and second watches. 

I want to draw your attention to Exodus 12:11 in particular. “Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, you sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; you shall eat it in haste – It is the Lord’s Passover.”

In other words, God was telling them, “When I say get ready you need to prepare and get ready. When I say move, it’s time to move.

Exodus 12:29: Now it came about at midnight that the Lord struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharoah who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the cattle as well.

God struck Egypt in the latter moments of the second watch. So, the way I see it, the second watch is not merely a time for praying for divine provision and supply but for judgment on the enemies as well. 

 Exodus 12:35-36: “Now the sons of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, for they had requested from the Egyptians articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have their requests. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.”

Notice that the sons of Israel had done everything that Moses had told them to do. How did Moses know what to do? God told Moses what to do. That is obedience to God’s word. God not only took Israel out of Egypt, He sent them out with wealth and livestock. His provision and supply were unlimited. 

So God provided Israel with favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, silver, gold, and clothing. The oppressors had been plundered. But not only that, Egypt was judged in that every firstborn died. The oppressor had been judged. All on the second watch. But could that have happened, would that have happened if Israel had not been obedient to God’s instruction?  Let’s move on.

You may say, “Yeah, but Lonnie, that’s all Old Testament stuff. I’m under the New Covenant of the New Testament.” I would remind you of several things. The New Testament disciples and Apostles had only the Old Testament to rely as far as Scriptural reference is concerned. Another thing is that God has made some pretty hefty promises to the Jewish people that are, as yet unfulfilled. I’m not going to go into replacement theology where the church has replaced the Jews, the church gets all the promises and the Jews get all the curses. That’s not how it works. Or, I don’t believe that’s how it works. Why? Because Paul said that we, the gentile nations being a wild olive branch, were grafted into the tree of Israel. It is not the branch that supplies the root, the root being Jesus, but rather the root that supplies the branch. For those who still think otherwise, let’s move on.

In Acts 21 Paul has been seized in the Temple. In Acts 22 Paul is set to be scourged and beaten but claims His Roman citizenship. In doing so, Paul escaped punishment because a Roman citizen could not be beaten or detained without Roman trial to punish or condemn him. Acts 23, Paul has stirred the Pharisees against the Sadducees causing a great uproar. Acts 23:11 reads, “But on the night immediately following, the Lord stood at his side and said, ‘Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also.’”

It was revealed to the commander of the guard that the Jews were plotting to kill Paul, a Roman citizen. Acts 23: 23-24 tells of favor extended to Paul in the sight of the Roman commander. 

“And he (the Roman Commander) called to him two of the centurions and said, “Get two hundred soldiers ready by the third hour of the night (last hour of the first watch) to proceed to Caesarea, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen.” They were also to provide mounts to put Paul on and bring him safely to Felix.

So we have a Roman commander ordering two hundred soldiers, two hundred spearmen, and seventy horsemen to escort Paul to stand before the governor, Felix? Are you kidding me? To escort a prisoner and keep him safe from his own people? Additionally, providing horses for Paul to ride on? This Christian Apostle has gone from being a condemned man by the Jews, to nearly flogged by the Romans, to being provided protection by the enemy? And, it was arranged just prior to the second watch so that the transport could begin during the second watch. That is God’s favor, provision, and supply.

Now, let’s get into some deeper context that involves our Lord Jesus Christ, Yeshuah Ha-Mashiach, Himself.

Do you recall at the beginning of this episode when I spoke of Jesus and the twelve disciples sitting down for the Passover meal during the first watch? Yes? Well, that’s good. Because as we advance through the watches you will see how God did not deviate from those watches.

Let’s go to Matthew 26:20: “Now when evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples.” That’s the introduction to the Lord’s Supper. It was when evening came. The first watch. Now, let’s carry on forward into the second watch.

Matthew 26:36-45

36. Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” This is the first hour of the second watch and what is our Lord doing? He is going to pray.

37. And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed.

38. Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and KEEP WATCH with Me. First He went to pray alone and instructed His disciples, “Keep watch and pray with Me.”

39. And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” Now that doesn’t sound to me as if He is asking for God’s blessings of prosperity. It sounds to me that He’s asking, that if it be in the Father’s will, to let Him live.

40. And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping and said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour?” He’s been praying for an hour.

41. “Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

42. He went away again, a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.”

43. And AGAIN He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.

44. And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. 

45. Then He came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand that the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.”

 This is the second watch. The disciples were falling down on the job, sleeping while Jesus was praying. I can’t help but wonder that if they had known what was going to transpire throughout the day if they would have been sleeping? Would they have slept or would they have been praying fervently and steadfastly. But they didn’t really know what was about to happen did they? Another thing to notice is one of the reasons Jesus instructed them to keep watch and to pray is so that they would not fall to temptation. I’d say that’s linked to them sleeping instead of keeping watch and praying.

This was the whole of the second watch that Jesus prayed. He prayed, asking for the death that awaited Him to Passover Him but not according to His will but according to the Father’s will. Could you do that? Could you pray for God’s will to be done even though you knew it would bring about your martyrdom? Could you, would you, stand fast in the faith even unto death as it is told in Acts 1:8? “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

That word “power” is “dynamis” in Greek. It’s where we get our word dynamite from. That power is a supernatural power not of your own that will allow you to maintain the faith even into martyrdom. How do I know that? That word “witnesses” is the word “martys” in Greek. It’s where we get our word “martyr” from.

So, even Jesus observed and kept the watches of the watchman. He kept the first watch when He reclined at the table with His disciples and had His last meal of the Passover. He kept the second watch in prayer and urged His disciples to do likewise but they slept instead, falling into temptation because their eyes were heavy. How disappointed, how heartbroken Jesus must have been!

And you may say, “Wait Lonnie! You said that the first watch was to silence the enemy and divert the plans that are divinely placed on someone’s life! You said the second watch was for God’s divine provision and supply! How was any of that achieved in what Jesus did during the first and second watches?”

I am so happy that you asked those questions!

Was Jesus God? I believe so. You see, what Jesus did was in perfect order with what I’ve been saying all along. His last meal and hours before His arrest fulfilled prophecies hundreds, and thousands of years old. Jesus was preparing to die. The enemy thought that if Jesus was killed the war would be won. But it was not so. “This is my body” Jesus said. “This is my blood”. In giving His body and His blood, Jesus sealed the promises of God, old and new, Although the enemy did not realize it as early as the second watch, but Jesus was about to conquer death, hell, the grave and take back all that Adam had lost. That is a silencing of the enemy and confirming the divine appointments of an all powerful God. In the second watch Jesus gives us the example that God did not exist for our benefit but rather we exist to fulfill God’s will for us whether we think it is pleasant in this life or not. God loved us enough to give His Son. Do not think for a moment that God did not love the Son.

The second watch is for provision and supply. It is for plundering the enemy. It is a calling for the judgment of the enemy. That judgment is coming. In His three hours of prayer, it is apparent the Jesus did not want to die but He was willing to die if it was God the Father’s will. He prayed for three hours, a full watch, while the disciples slept.

What say ye? You may say, “Lonnie I don’t have to stay up from 9 until midnight and pray.” I’d say that you are correct. But I’ll also say that Jesus did it. I’d also say that it wouldn’t hurt you any either. I know I’ve done so a great number of times. Not because I had to but because I wanted to. It disciplines me to not fall into temptation.

I leave you today with Luke 12:35-38

35. Have your belt strapped on and lamps burning. 

36. Be like people waiting for their master to return from a wedding feast, so that when he comes and knocks, they may open to him immediately.

37. Happy are those slaves whose master finds them alert when he comes. Amen, I tell you, he will prepare himself and have them recline at table, and will come and serve them.

38. An if he comes in the second or even the third watch and finds them so, they will be happy.

Be like people waiting for the Master. Hunh? On the second or third watch? Hunh? You will be happy. Hunh! These are the words of Jesus himself. It is told in an allegorical fashion so that it would be understood, but it’s not allegory. It’s instruction!

I am The Old Watchman, Ezekiel. Will I see you on the second watch? You have been warned! 

 The Old Watchman Website
The Old Watchman - Facebook
The Watchman Speaks - Facebook
The Old Watchman - Twitter